Nuclear fusion reactor

Abstract

A structure of a nuclear fusion reactor having a vacuum vessel in which hydrogen isotope plasma is enclosed and a confining magnetic field generating coil for confining said plasma at a predetermined position in said vacuum vessel. It comprises a low tritium-permeable layer having lower tritium-permeability than that of a cooling metal base for forming a refrigerant passage for cooling the vacuum vessel on at least the surface adjacent to said plasma enclosed and a heat resistant and insulating fire member of the level higher than that of said cooling metal base for thermally shielding said low tritium-permeable layer from said plasma or corpuscular rays is formed on the low tritium-permeable layer. The similar processings are applied to the cooling metal base for forming the refrigerant passage for cooling a divertor disposed in the vacuum vessel and for neutralizing ionized corpuscles so as to exhaust them.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A nuclear fusion reactor having a vacuum vessel in which hydrogen isotope plasma or corpuscular rays is enclosed, a confining magnetic field generating coil for confining said plasma or corpuscular rays at a predetermined position in said vacuum vessel and a cooling metal base forming a wall of said vacuum vessel and having a refrigerant passage for cooling said wall, said nuclear fusion reactor also comprising: a layer with low tritium permeability, having lower tritium permeability than that of said cooling metal base and formed on the surface of said cooling metal base on at least a surface of said cooling metal base facing said plasma or corpuscular rays enclosed;   a heat resistant and insulating fire member, with a heat resistance higher than that of said cooling metal base, for protecting and thermally shielding from irradiation of said plasma or corpuscular rays, said heat resistant and insulating fire member being formed overlying said surface of said cooling metal base facing said plasma or corpuscular rays, the heat resistant and insulator member being made of a fiber reinforced heat resistant member whose reinforcement fibers are made of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, B and B 4  C, and whose base material is made of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, B 4  C, Be 2  C, SiO 2  and BeO.   
     
     
       2. A nuclear fusion reactor according to claim 1, wherein said heat resistant and insulating fire member is provided on said layer with low tritium permeability, said heat resistant and insulating fire member protecting and thermally shielding the layer with low tritium permeability from said irradiation. 
     
     
       3. A nuclear fusion reactor according to claim 1, wherein said layer with low tritium permeability is made of a material selected from the group consisting of C, Be, beryllium carbide, beryllium oxide, B 4  C, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, titanium oxide, titanium nitride, chromium oxide, chromium nitride, manganese oxide and zirconium oxide. 
     
     
       4. A nuclear fusion reactor having a vacuum vessel in which hydrogen isotope plasma or corpuscular rays is enclosed, a confining magnetic field generating coil for confining said plasma or corpuscular rays at a predetermined position in said vacuum vessel and a divertor disposed in said vacuum vessel and neutralizing ionized corpuscles so as to exhaust them, wherein said divertor comprises: a cooling metal base having a refrigerant passage for cooling the divertor;   a layer with low tritium permeability, having lower tritium permeability than that of the cooling metal base, formed on at least a surface of said cooling metal base facing said plasma or corpuscular rays enclosed; and   a heat resistant and insulating fire member, with a heat resistance higher than that of said cooling metal base, for protecting and thermally shielding from said irradiation of plasma or corpuscular rays, said heat resistant and insulating fire member being formed such that it covers said layer of low tritium permeability, the heat resistant and fire insulating member being made of a fiber reinforced heat resistant member whose reinforcement fibers are made of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, B and B 4  C, and whose base material is made of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, B 4  C, Be 2  C, SiO 2  and BeO.   
     
     
       5. A nuclear fusion reactor according to claim 4, wherein said layer with low tritium permeability is made of a material selected from the group consisting of C, Be, beryllium carbide, beryllium oxide, B 4  C, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, titanium oxide, titanium nitride, chromium oxide, chromium nitride, manganese oxide and zirconium oxide. 
     
     
       6. A nuclear fusion reactor having a vacuum vessel in which hydrogen isotope plasma or corpuscular rays is enclosed, a confining magnetic field generating coil for confining said plasma or corpuscular rays at a predetermined position in said vacuum vessel, a first cooling metal base forming a wall of said vacuum vessel and having a refrigerant passage for cooling said wall, and a divertor disposed in said vacuum vessel and neutralizing ionized corpuscles so as to exhaust them, wherein said divertor comprises: a second cooling metal base having a refrigerant passage for cooling the divertor; and   a heat resistant and insulating fire member, covering a surface of the second cooling metal base facing the plasma or corpuscular rays enclosed, with a heat resistance and fire insulation higher than that of said second cooling metal base, wherein said divertor is positioned in contact with said first cooling metal base forming a wall of said vacuum vessel and fixed where positioned, the heat resistant and fire insulating fire member being made of a fiber reinforced heat resistant member whose reinforcement fibers are made of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, B and B 4  C, and whose base material is made of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, B 4  C, Be 2  C, SiO 2  and BeO.   
     
     
       7. A nuclear fusion reactor having a vacuum vessel in which hydrogen isotope plasma or corpuscular rays is enclosed, a confining magnetic field generating coil for confining said plasma or corpuscular rays at a predetermined position in said vacuum vessel, a first cooling metal base forming a wall of said vacuum vessel and having a refrigerant passage for cooling said wall, and a divertor disposed in said vacuum vessel and neutralizing ionized corpuscles so as to exhaust them, wherein said divertor comprises: a second cooling metal base having a refrigerant passage for cooling the divertor;   a layer with low tritium permeability, having lower tritium permeability than that of said second cooling metal base, disposed on at least a surface of the second cooling metal base facing the plasma or corpuscular rays; and   a heat resistant and insulating fire member, covering said second cooling metal base, with a heat resistance and fire insulation higher than that of said second cooling metal base, overlying the surface of the second cooling metal base facing the plasma or corpuscular rays, the heat resistant and insulating fire member being made of a fiber reinforced heat resistant member whose reinforcement fibers are made of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, B and B 4  C, and whose base material is made of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, B 4  C, Be 2  C, SiO 2  and BeO;   and wherein said layer with low tritium permeability is also disposed on at least a surface of the first cooling metal base facing the plasma or corpuscular rays.   
     
     
       8. A nuclear fusion reactor according to claim 7, wherein the heat resistant and insulating fire member is on the layer with low tritium permeability disposed on the surface of the second cooling metal base facing the plasma or corpuscular rays. 
     
     
       9. A nuclear fusion reactor according to claim 7, wherein said layer with low tritium permeability is made of a material selected from the group consisting of C, Be, beryllium carbide, beryllium oxide, B 4  C, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, titanium oxide, titanium nitride, chromium oxide, chromium nitride, manganese oxide and zirconium oxide. 
     
     
       10. A nuclear fusion reactor having a vacuum vessel in which hydrogen isotope plasma or corpuscular rays is enclosed, a confining magnetic field generating coil for confining said plasma or corpuscular rays at a predetermined position in said vacuum vessel, a first cooling metal base forming a wall of the vacuum vessel and having a refrigerant passage for cooling said wall, a heat resistant and insulating fire member disposed overlying a surface of said first cooling metal base facing said plasma or corpuscular rays enclosed, with a heat resistance higher than that of said first cooling metal base, and a divertor disposed in said vacuum vessel and neutralizing ionized corpuscles so as to exhaust them, said divertor comprising: a second cooling metal base having a refrigerant passage for cooling the divertor;   a layer with low tritium permeability, having lower tritium permeability than that of said cooling metal base, disposed on at least a surface of said second cooling metal base facing the plasma or corpuscular rays; and   a heat resistant and insulating fire member, with a heat resistance and fire insulation higher than that of said second cooling metal base, covering the surface of the second cooling metal base facing the plasma or corpuscular rays, the heat resistant and insulating fire member being made of a fiber reinforced heat resistant member whose reinforcement fibers are made of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, B and B 4  C, and whose base material is made of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, B 4  C, Be 2  C, SiO 2  and BeO;   and wherein said layer with low tritium permeability is also disposed on at least a surface of the first cooling metal base facing the plasma or corpuscular rays;   said divertor being positioned in contact with said first cooling metal base and being fixed in contact with said first cooling metal base.   
     
     
       11. A nuclear fusion reactor according to claim 10, wherein the heat resistant and insulating fire member is on the layer with low tritium permeability disposed on the surface of the second cooling metal base facing the plasma or corpuscular rays. 
     
     
       12. A nuclear fusion reaction according to claim 10, wherein said layer with low tritium permeability is made of a material selected from the group consisting of C, Be, beryllium carbide, beryllium oxide, B 4  C, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, titanium oxide, titanium nitride, chromium oxide, chromium nitride, manganese oxide and zirconium oxide. 
     
     
       13. A nuclear fusion reactor having a vacuum vessel in which hydrogen isotope plasma or corpuscular rays is enclosed, a confining magnetic field generating coil for confining said plasma or corpuscular rays at a predetermined position in said vacuum vessel, a first cooling metal base forming a wall of the vacuum vessel and having a refrigerant passage for cooling said wall, a first heat resistant and insulating fire member, disposed overlying a surface of said first cooling metal base facing said plasma or corpuscular rays enclosed, with a heat resistance higher than that of said first cooling metal base, and a divertor disposed in said vacuum vessel and neutralizing ionized corpuscles so as to exhaust them, said divertor comprising: a second cooling metal base having a refrigerant passage for cooling the divertor;   a 0.1 μm to 30 μm thick layer having low tritium permeability, lower than that of said second cooling metal base, disposed on at least a surface of the second cooling metal base facing the plasma or corpuscular rays, said layer having low tritium permeability including at least one material having a tritium diffusion coefficient at 600° C. of 1×10 -9  cm/sec or less and selected from carbon, Be, a carbide and an oxide of Be, B 4  C, an oxide and a nitride of Al, a carbide, an oxide and nitride of Si, an oxide and a nitride of Ti, an oxide and a nitride of Cr, an oxide of Mn and an oxide of Zr;   a second heat resistant and insulating fire member, covering said second cooling metal base, provided for said divertor, with a heat resistance and fire insulation higher than that of said second cooling metal base, said divertor being positioned in contact with said first cooling metal base for forming said refrigerant passage for cooling said vacuum vessel and being fixed in contact with said first cooling metal base;   and wherein said second heat resistant and insulating fire member is joined to the surface of said layer with low tritium permeability by a metal layer formed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of Be, carbon, Al, Ti, Cr, Ni, Fe, Cu, Ag, Au, Mo and W by using a brazing material, said heat resistant and insulating fire member being made of a fiber reinforced heat resistant member whose reinforcement fiber is at least one fiber selected from carbon fiber, SiC fiber, boron fiber and B 4  C fiber and whose base material is made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, Be, B 4  C, Be 2  C, SiO 2  and BeO and having a thermal impact coefficient of 20 kW/m, and said first and second cooling metal bases being made of non-magnetic austenitic alloy; and   wherein said layer having low tritium permeability is also disposed on at least a surface of the first cooling metal base facing the plasma or corpuscular rays.   
     
     
       14. A divertor, adapted to be disposed in a torus vacuum vessel of a nuclear fusion reactor, neutralizing impurities contained in plasma or corpuscular rays in the vacuum vessel for exhausting the impurities out of the vacuum vessel, wherein said divertor comprises a cooling metal base having a refrigerant passage for cooling said divertor, a heat resistant and insulating fire member, with a heat resistance higher than that of said cooling metal base, which is formed on at least a surface of said cooling metal base facing said plasma or corpuscular rays enclosed so that it covers said cooling metal base, and a cooling pipe, having a refrigerant passage, which is disposed in the heat resistant and insulating fire member, and comprises a layer, with tritium permeability lower than that of the pipe, which is formed on the circumferential outer surface of the pipe, said heat resistant and insulating fire member being made of a fiber reinforced heat resistant member whose reinforcement fiber is at least one selected from the group consisting of carbon fiber, SiC fiber, boron fiber and B 4  C fiber and whose base material is at least one selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, Be, B 4  C, Be s  C, SiO 2  and BeO. 
     
     
       15. A divertor according to claim 14, wherein said layer having low tritium permeability is made of material selected from the group consisting of C, Be, beryllium carbide, beryllium oxide, B 4  C, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, titanium oxide, titanium nitride, chromium oxide, chromium nitride, manganese oxide and zirconium oxide. 
     
     
       16. A wall of a torus vacuum vessel for a nuclear fusion reactor, comprising a cooling metal base having a refrigerant passage, a layer with tritium permeability lower than that of the cooling metal base formed on at least a surface of said cooling metal base facing plasma or corpuscular rays enclosed in the vacuum vessel, and a heat resistant and insulating fire member, with a heat resistance higher than that of said cooling metal base, which is formed on the layer with the tritium permeability lower than that of the cooling metal base and which protects and thermally shields the cooling metal base from irradiation of said plasma or corpuscular rays, said heat resistant and insulating fire member being made of a fiber reinforced heat resistant member whose reinforcement fiber is of at least one selected from the group consisting of carbon fiber, SiC fiber, boron fiber and B 4  C fiber and whose base material is of at least one selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, Be, B 4  C, Be 2  C, SiO 2  and BeO. 
     
     
       17. A wall of a torus vacuum vessel for a nuclear fusion reactor according to claim 16, wherein said layer with low tritium permeability is made of a material selected from the group consisting of C, Be, beryllium carbide, beryllium oxide, B 4  C, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, titanium oxide, titanium nitride, chromium oxide, chromium nitride, manganese oxide and zirconium oxide. 
     
     
       18. A vacuum vessel of a nuclear fusion reactor, in which hydrogen isotope plasma or corpuscular rays is enclosed, comprising: a cooling metal base forming a wall of the vacuum vessel and having a refrigerant passage for cooling said wall; and   a heat resistant and insulating fire member, covering a surface of the cooling metal base facing the plasma or corpuscular rays, with a heat resistance and fire insulation higher than that of the cooling metal base, the heat resistant and insulating fire member being made of a fiber reinforced heat resistant material whose reinforcement fibers are made of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, B and B 4  C, and whose base material is selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, Be, B 4  C, Be 2  C, SiO 2  and BeO.   
     
     
       19. A wall of a torus vacuum vessel for a nuclear fusion reactor, comprising: a cooling metal base forming the wall of the vacuum vessel and having a refrigerant passage for cooling said wall;   a layer of material of low tritium permeability, as compared to material of the cooling metal base, provided on a surface of the cooling metal base facing inside of the vacuum vessel;   a metal coating layer formed on a surface of the layer of material of low tritium permeability farthest from the cooling metal base; and   heat resistant and insulating fire members overlying a surface of the metal coating layer furthest from the layer of material of low tritium permeability; and   an intermediate member, between the metal coating layer and the heat resistant and insulating fire members, by which the heat resistant and insulating fire members are brazed on the metal coating layer.   
     
     
       20. The wall according to claim 19, wherein the heat resistant and insulating fire members comprise a plurality of members spaced from each other. 
     
     
       21. The wall according to claim 20, wherein a space between adjacent heat resistant and insulating fire members is bent in shape so that the layer of material of low tritium permeability, not covered by the heat resistant and insulating fire members, is protected from the plasma or corpuscular rays. 
     
     
       22. The wall according to claim 20, wherein grooves are provided in the cooling metal base surface facing the inside of the vacuum vessel, and wherein a space between adjacent heat resistant and insulating fire members are provided over the grooves. 
     
     
       23. The wall according to claim 22, wherein the layer of low tritium permeability and the metal coating layer are provided in the grooves. 
     
     
       24. The wall according to claim 19, wherein the heat resistant and insulating fire members are made of a fiber reinforced material whose reinforcement fibers are made of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, B and B 4  C, and whose base material is selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, Be, B 4  C, Be 2  C, SiO 2  and BeO. 
     
     
       25. A wall of a torus vacuum vessel for a nuclear fusion reactor, comprising: a cooling metal base forming the wall of the vacuum vessel and having a refrigerant passage for cooling said wall;   a layer of material of low tritium permeability, as compared to material of the cooling metal base, provided on a first part of a surface of the cooling metal base facing inside of the vacuum vessel;   a metal coating layer on a second part of said surface of the cooling metal base, said second part being different from said first part; and   heat resistant and insulating fire members covering the second part and not the first part of the surface of the cooling metal base, adjacent heat resistant and insulating fire members being spaced from each other such that the layer of material of low tritium permeability is provided in spaces between adjacent heat resistant and insulating fire members.   
     
     
       26. The wall according to claim 25, wherein said metal coating layer comprises an intermediate member having brazing material on both sides thereof. 
     
     
       27. The wall according to claim 25, wherein sides of adjacent heat resistant and insulating fire members have a cross-section of bent steps such that adjacent heat resistant and insulating fire members can overlap one another. 
     
     
       28. The wall according to claim 25, wherein the heat resistant and insulating fire members are made of a fiber reinforced material whose reinforcement fibers are made of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, B and B 4  C, and whose base material is selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, Be, B 4  C, Be 2  C, SiO 2  and BeO. 
     
     
       29. A nuclear fusion reactor having a vacuum vessel in which hydrogen isotope plasma or corpuscular rays is enclosed, the vacuum vessel including, as components thereof, wall structure and a divertor, comprising: a cooling metal base for forming a refrigerant passage for cooling components of the vacuum vessel; and   a heat resistant and insulating fire member, with heat resistance higher than that of said cooling metal base, said heat resistant and insulating fire member covering said cooling metal base, the heat resistant and insulating fire member being made of a fiber-reinforced material whose reinforcement fibers are made of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, B and B 4  C, and whose base material is made of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, SiC, Be, B 4  C, Be 2  C, SiO 2  and BeO.   
     
     
       30. A nuclear fusion reactor according to claim 29, further comprising a layer of a material having lower tritium permeability than that of the cooling metal base, separate from the heat resistant and insulating fire member, said layer being provided on a surface of the cooling metal base facing inside of the vacuum vessel. 
     
     
       31. A nuclear fusion reactor according to claim 30, wherein the layer of a material having lower tritium permeability is interposed between the cooling metal base and the heat resistant and insulating fire member, the heat resistant and insulating fire member protecting and thermally shielding said layer of a material having lower tritium permeability from the plasma or corpuscular rays. 
     
     
       32. A nuclear fusion reactor having a vacuum vessel in which hydrogen isotope plasma or corpuscular rays is enclosed, the vacuum vessel including, as components thereof, wall structure and a divertor, comprising: a cooling metal base for forming a refrigerant passage for cooling components of the vacuum vessel;   a heat resistant and insulating fire member, with heat resistance higher than that of said cooling metal base, said heat resistant and insulating fire member covering said cooling metal base, the heat resistant and insulating fire member being made of a fiber-reinforced material;   a layer of a material having lower tritium permeability than that of the cooling metal base, separate from the heat resistant and insulating fire member, said layer being provided on a surface of the cooling metal base facing inside of the vacuum vessel, wherein the layer of a material having lower tritium permeability is interposed between the cooling metal base and the heat resistant and insulating fire member, the heat resistant and insulating fire member protecting and thermally shielding said layer of a material having lower tritium permeability from the plasma or corpuscular rays; and   a metal coating layer interposed between the layer of a material having lower tritium permeability and the heat resistant and insulating fire member.